Wednesday, December 29, 2010

December Sketch

For December, the design team has been working with this sketch by Jana Eubanks. Since this is December, we all have plenty of Hannukah photos to scrap. This sketch uses 3 photos, although it is always possible to use more or less.

Lisa Spiegel created this layout with each of her daughters lighting the Hannukah candles on the fourth night. I love how she hand-cut the big 8 and the presents.


Maya Oren-Dahan also decided to showcase candle-lighting photos, hers are from the 8th night. I love the way she captured so many flames in her photos.





In this layout, Mimi Klien documented the hand decorated sugar cookies that she baked and decorated with her family.




They say the way to a man's heart is through is stomach. This was definitely true for my 9 year old when I decided to make Donuts, for the first time ever. He was quite fond of the donuts and his mother this Hannukah. I used the sketch to remember this culinary adventure.

I hope this sketch inspires you to scrap some of you Hannukah photos. Please share your work by leaving a comment.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Beat the boredom blues with Crafting Jewish Style

Here are some fun crafting ideas to do with the kids over vacation and/ or snow day .(We're expecting lots of snow here very soon...) It's a great way to spend some time together and is answer to the "Mom, I'm bored..." refrain that we all hear when the kids are off from school for an extended period of time.

These crafts are great because they basically are made from supplies that are usually available in most homes! I love that you can reuse and recycle everyday containers into beautiful desk accessories, and it gives the kids a chance to (re)decorate their rooms.






Desk Set

If your desk is stuck, like mine, in a perpetual state of messiness then this desk set is just the project for you. Finally you’ll have a neat way to store the pens, pencils, papers, and other junk that seems to multiply and take over your desk space. With such gorgeous looking organizing accessories that you’ve crafted yourself, out of basic household items that you have on hand, you’ll be tempted to keep everything in its place- I’m certainly hoping that will happen to me!

What you will need:

Assorted clean metal, cardboard or plastic containers
Scrapbooking or wrapping paper
Ruler and pencil
Scissors
Mod Podge
Foam brush
X-acto knife
Trim
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Label stickers
Marker

How to do it:

1.Measure the height and width of each container and mark the measurements, plus a 1/2”, with a pencil onto the back of the paper. Cut out the measured paper.
2.Use the foam brush to apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the outside of the container. Stick the paper onto the surface of the container, overlapping where necessary. Smooth out any air bubbles with your fingers.
3.Brush another thin coat of Mod Podge on top of the paper. Let dry.
4.Use an X- acto knife to trim any excess paper form the top and/or bottom of the container.
5.Cut a piece of decorative trim to fit around the top circumference of the container and attach with a hot glue gun.
6.Label the container by writing the name of the item(s) on a label sticker and affixing it to the front of the container.

Estimated time: ½ hour




Bulletin Board and Pushpins

Keep all your important papers, pictures and fun stuff, tacked up for easy access and on display on a funky bulletin board made out of an embellished picture frame! It’s a great addition to your desk set.
Maximize your time by crafting the push pins while the bulletin board dries. The marble push pins are adorable for a change, you can easily make them into magnets by attaching very strong circular magnets instead of push pins.

What you will need:

Embellished picture frame
8½”x 11 sheet foam core board
Roll of corkboard material
Craft knife- x-acto knife
Ruler and pencil
Craft glue
Acrylic paint in the colors of your choice
2” wide foam
Scissor or circle puncher
Flat pushpins
Silicone glue- E6000

How to do it:

1.Take the back off of the picture frame and place out of crafting area.Measure the picture opening of your picture frame. Mark the measurements onto the foam core and cut out the foam core rectangle with sharp scissors or an x-acto knife.
2.Unroll the cork board material on a flat surface. Place the foam core on top and use a ruler and pencil to trace the foam core rectangle onto the cork. Cut out the traced cork rectangle.
3.Spread craft glue onto the foam core and glue the cork on top. Smooth the cork down with your fingers so that there are no air bubbles. If the cork curls upward then place some heavy books on top while drying. Let dry 1-2 hours.
4.Use a foam brush to paint the cork the color of your choice. Let dry.
5.Place the cork covered foam core into the picture frame opening.
Reassemble the picture frame.
For the pushpins:
1.Place the flat marble on to the back of the patterned paper.
2.Trace the around the marble with a pencil. Cut out the paper with a scissor or a
round punch.
3. Squeeze some glue on to a scrap of paper. Use a toothpick to place a
small amount of the glue onto the paper circle and place the marble down on top of the paper. Push out the air bubbles with your fingers and let the glue dry.
4. Glue the pushpin to the flat part of the marble and let dry.

Estimated time: 1 hour Drying time: 2-4 hours






Candy Pillow

Dress up your bed with pillows that look good enough to eat!

What you will need:
Fabric remnant
Pinking sheers
Needle and thread or use sewing machine
2 rubber bands or narrow pony holders
Poyester fiberfill or bolster pillow
3 yards 1/4” -3/8” wide polyester grosgrain ribbon in assorted colors
Wooden dowels and clothespins or metal alligator clips
Cookie sheet or large baking pan
Aluminum foil

How to do it:

1.If using fiberfill, use pinking sheers to cut the fabric in a rectangle approximately 21"x24". If using a bolster pillow, cut the fabric 6-8 inches longer and 2 inches wider than the pillow.
2.Fold the fabric in half, widthwise, so that the right side (printed side) is facing inwards.
3.Use a needle and thread or a sewing machine to sew the two sides together along the entire width of the fabric. It should look like a long tube when you are done.
4.Turn the tube right side in. Grasp one end of the tube in one hand and use your other hand to wrap a rubber band tightly around that end, approximately 6” into the tube.
5.Stuff the fiberfill into the open end of the tube making sure to pack it in well and that it is not lumpy. Leave 6” at the end of the tube not stuffed. (If you are using a bolster pillow stuff it into the fabric tube and continue with step 6.
6.To close the open end, wrap a rubber band tightly where the fiberfill ends and fluff the fabric out.
7.Preheat your oven to 250*. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
8.Cut 1 yard lengths of grosgrain ribbon. For each ribbon curl: Clip one end of the ribbon to the dowel with a clothespin. Wind the ribbon tightly around the dowel making sure not to overlap the ribbon and clip the end of the ribbon to the dowel to secure. Repeat for other colors.
9.Place the ribbon wrapped dowels on the cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn off oven and let cool before removing dowels.
10.Unwrap ribbon from dowels (if the curl is not tight then rewrap return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes) and cut each ribbon curl in half. Tie the curls around the rubber bands making sure to completely cover the rubber bands.

Estimated time:1 hour Bake time: 20 minutes

Hannukah Layout

Directions:
1. Cut the large eight from the 8 Nights paper, using it as a corner embellishment on the One to Eight paper (solid side). Adhere only the left side of the eight for now.
2. Adhere two 4x6" photos to a white photo mat.
3. Tuck photos under the large eight, as shown.
4. Trace openings on the eight onto a lined library card or lined patterned paper. Adhere behind the openings on the eight. Tuck small tags and embellishments in, as desired.
5. Adhere remainder of eight to the page and sew around the perimeter.
6. Add remaining layers and embellishments (journaling spots, stickers, photo turns, rub-ons, etc).
7. Add journaling strips to bottom of page.

I used eight 8s on this page. Can you find them all? :)

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Hanukkah Scrapbooking Tips

Now that Hanukkah is over, and you have loads of beautiful memories to be recorded, it's time to start thinking about how you want to organize your photos and what topics you want to focus on.

1. Create a collage. One of the easiest ways to get a lot of photos on a page, without making it look cluttered, is to make a collage. Collages allow you to combine various shots from an event without focusing on one particular aspect of the holiday or gathering. A 4x6 collage, for example, can have four 2x3 photos on it. The combination of sizes is endless (and you can certainly mix-and-match photo sizes, as well as mix landscape and portrait photos). A photo editing program, like Photoshop Elements, is one way to easily create a collage. Once you're done you can either print at home or use an online service.

2. Document family traditions. Holidays are the perfect time to focus on family traditions. Think about what your family does to carry on traditions that have been passed down through the generations (do you use your great-grandmother's menorah?) or what traditions your own family has created (maybe a special game or book you like to read).

3. Don't forget the food. Food is always important. LOL! What recipes do you make year after year? Did you try any new ones this year? How do you like to eat your latkes (with sour cream, applesauce or both? My father adamantly declares that there is no other way than to eat them with sour cream, LOL! ) What one food says "Hanukkah" to you?

4. Detail shots. I hope you were able to get some special shots during the holiday. These types of photos deserve to shine on a page of their own. Consider turning your favorite to black-and-white for a classic, timeless look. Maybe you have a picture of the menorah lighting, a playful game of dreidel or a collection of some kind (my father has a wonderful collection of Hanukkiah). When it comes time to creating the look of candlelight/flames on your page, you can cut or punch a heart and cut it in half. You could also use sparkling gems, rhinestones or glitter.

5. It wouldn't be a holiday without friends and family. Scrapbook about who you spend the holiday with. Do you always get together with family? Do you celebrate on multiple nights? Do friends attend your holiday gathering or do you go to a friend's home? Don't forget to include this part of your celebration.

I hope I've given you some ideas and ways to organize your thoughts and photos. Now it's time to get scrapping. :)

Friday, December 10, 2010

Crafting Jewish Style Hanukkah Grand Giveaway Winner


Hanukkah is over and what a beautiful holiday it was! Gotta get back on the diet! (I feel like I've consumed a year's worth of latkes and donuts!)
Yes, we have a winner (generated by Random.org)!! Deb Long has won our Grand Giveaway! Please contact us for prize delivery information.

Don't forget to send us your holiday (and any day) memory layouts, cards, and/or papercrafts to be included in our post-holiday roundup that is coming soon.

Thanks for Sharing your Hanukkah Holiday experiences with Crafting Jewish Style!

Shabbat Shalom!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Latkes anyone?

Tonight we will light the last Hanukkah candle. Another Festival of Lights will end, leaving us with happy memories, gifts, menorahs to clean and ..... pictures. Of course! If you are like me, your will find on your memory card endless pictures of candles, menorahs, hands, dreidels, donuts, latkes and more candles. Time to scrap at lest some of those pictures and capture those happy memories.

Latkes are big in our house. I like them with sour cream (my girls ate them one year with sugar, but don't tell anyone!) . I decided that latkes deserve a layout on their own. Those are from last year. This year latkes are still on my memory card but surprisingly they look just the same.

I wanted to use the numbers paper from my Hanukkah kit but the colors were too bold. I solved this by layering 2 sheets of vellum on top of the paper and stitching around. I added white punched scallop border (reminds me of sour cream) and layered it on top of light teal scallop border. Few white pearls and journaling strips and my layout is done!


All paper here, except the vellum, are from Crafting Jewish Style Hanukkah kit!

How do you like your latkes? Please share! Don't forget - you still have a chance to enter into the big prize drawing just by leaving a comment.

Monday, December 6, 2010

CRAFTING JEWISH STYLE WISHES YOU A HAPPY HANNUKAH!!

Happy Chanukah to everyone!For those of you who want to know more about the holiday or need help with the blessings go here for some great info.

We have a winner for the party package from The Frog Prince Paperie generated by Random.org!! Lisa is our winner! We are so excited! (Lisa is an extremely talented crafter. Check out her Hannukah decorations here.)Please contact us to claim your prize! We hope you get to use it over the holiday, and take pictures to share with us. We will be picking our Grand Giveaway winner soon-don't forget to leave a comment in order to be entered.

It is wonderful to light the Hanukkah candles every night. I love having out all the menorahs and dreidels. We, of course, had latkes last night for dinner. We fried the traditional potato latkes, but I hear its a brave new world in latke land... all sorts of new flavor combos and exotic toppings are emerging....Move over potato latkes and apple sauce and sour cream, here come mimosa latkes!

Check out the recipes over here for a Asian inspired Hanukkah meal.

Kosher.com has a fab Indian Hanukkah menu

and The Kosher Gourmet will fill all you Kosher Holiday recipe needs.

have you tried out any exotic latke recipes?



We have been seeing Crafting Jewish Style products showcased all over in all different mediums.

Check out these cupcake wrappers using our Happy Hannukah paper:




Keshet Shenkar did a stunning Chanukah album on Write Click Scrapbook here's a sneak peak, but you must check out the whole album. Yum!



Finally, check out what our design team members, Lisa and Lisa,and follower, Irit have been up to at Scrapstreet.com.

Show us how you have been using Crafting Jewish Style products and we will include you in our Hannukah roundup!

Hanukkah Layouts

One of the great things about Hanukkah from a scrappy perspective is that we get so many chances to take the perfect photograph. We get 8 nights of candle lighting as well as multiple nights of gift giving and eating the traditional foods. I try to take pictures of my sons lighting the menorah each night, and then scrap the best few. This year, I was pleased with thse photos from the first night. I used the Hannukah kit for this layout, which was inspired by a sketch challenge over at scrapbook.com, which used a sketch from pencillines.




Maya has also created a Hannukah layout from a sketch, she found hers at Tuesday Trio, a site which has both Hebrew and English.




I find sketches are a great inspiration and help me try new things on my layouts.

We hope you are all having a great Hanukkah and check back often as our Hanukkah winner will be posted shortly.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Crafting Jewish Style Day 8 of our Hanukkah Crafts Roundup


Hanukkah begins tonight and we, at Crafting Jewish Style, are so excited! Our 8 crazy nights posts have been so much fun! We love reading all your responses. There is still time to enter our giveaways. If your hosting a party, than The Frog Prince Paperie giveaway is a must-have.

Wouldn't it be fun to use this...



And this...


for some fun holiday decorations at your Hanukkah party! They're yours, if you win our giveaway,so leave a comment.


If you need some more inspiration, then we hope you win this...

...along with the other prizes that are part of our Grand Giveaway!

HAPPY HANUKKAH!



Don't forget we are offering a 10% discount on all orders @ Crafting Jewish Style. Use coupon code "happy hannukah". The Frog Prince Paperie is also offering the Hanukkah set at discount.